The cemetery researcher (ENG-ESP)-Monomad challenge

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How one lives also dictates how one dies. The cemetery is the proof. If you live poor, you die with nothing, and your grave is the eternal reminder of a small, anonymous plot, with barely a date and dirt.

Some are luckier, and yet, they too succumb to oblivion. Freddy is in charge of researching and recording those personalities who made an impact during their lives.

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El cómo se vive también mide cómo se muere. El cementerio es la muestra. Si vives pobre, mueres sin nada, y tu tumba es el eterno recordatorio de una pequeña parcela sin identidad, con apenas una fecha y tierra.

Algunos corren con más suerte y, sin embargo, también sucumben ante el olvido. Freddy se encarga de investigar y registrar a aquellas personalidades que influyeron en vida.

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"The dead are not us,
These dead who in sweet calm and peace
enjoy our cold tomb...
The dead are those
who walk with dead souls
and are still alive..."

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"Muertos no somos nosotros,
Estos muertos que en dulce calma y paz
disfrutamos de nuestra tumba fría...
Muertos son aquellos
que andan con el alma muerta
y siguen vivos todavía..."

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He recited this poem, which is an interpretation often attributed to Rubén Darío and Héctor Palma.

Regardless of its author, having mentioned it in the middle of the cemetery, especially when he dedicates himself to that task, one cannot help but think about the subject.

Freddy says there are more than 4 million graves in the cemetery, and among them lie generals, intellectuals, and businessmen.

Just by looking at the graves, the difference is evident: mausoleums, quality marble, among other sculptural works that have rested there for over a hundred years.

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Recitó este poema, que es una interpretación que suele ser atribuida a Rubén Darío y a Héctor Palma.

Independientemente de quién sea, que lo haya mencionado en medio del cementerio, y más cuando se dedica a esa tarea, no se puede evitar pensar acerca del tema.

Freddy dice que hay más de 4 millones de tumbas en el cementerio, y allí hay generales, intelectuales y empresarios.

Con solo ver las tumbas se nota la diferencia: mausoleos, mármol de calidad, entre otras obras de la escultura que reposan desde hace más de cien años.

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"This is history, and it cannot be forgotten," Freddy says with conviction.

He doesn't talk about other graves that are simple. No one does. Perhaps their families don't either, because they look neglected.

The truth is that everyone rests in the earth, and the great difference between social classes is also evident in death.

Or at least in death as seen from life, because we don't know what it's truly like until we experience it.

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“Esto es historia y no puede ser olvidada”, dice Freddy con convicción.No habla acerca de otras tumbas que son sencillas. Nadie lo hace. Tal vez sus familiares tampoco, porque lucen descuidadas.

Lo cierto es que todos reposan en la tierra, y la gran diferencia entre clases sociales también se ve en la muerte.

O al menos en la muerte desde la vida, porque no sabemos cómo es hasta comprobarlo.



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8 comments
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That post has a thoughtful, investigative air—exploring history through those silent stones, mapping out stories one headstone at a time. It invites us into a reflective journey of remembrance and curiosity. 👣

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Thank you so much for your words. This topic is really important to me and I am glad you connected with it in some way.

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This is an outstanding post. I wrote my university thesis on how death is represented in Art, and graveyards and cemeteries, and the monuments you've photographed here bring it all back to me.

We will all return to dust, one day.

I love that these images are presented in entirely black and white, and your writing to back them up, so good, and so profound. Yet, a topic so banal, bodies buried in the Earth with sculpted rocks laid atop them.

Four million bodies, but how many tears?

Thank you so much for sharing this! I am looking forward to your next post already - but don't rush it, I won't be in the ground for a long time (hopefully!)

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Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful and profound comment! I'm truly touched that my photographs and writing resonated with you, especially given your university thesis on the representation of death in art, graveyards, and cemeteries. It's fascinating how these images can evoke such deep personal connections and bring back academic explorations.

It's wonderful to hear your perspective on how art can emerge from such a topic. Thank you again for sharing your insights and for your kind words about my work. I'm glad you're looking forward to future posts, and I certainly hope you won't be in the ground for a long, long time! Your contributions to the conversation are truly valued.

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Manually curated by the @qurator Team. Keep up the good work!

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Curated by brumest

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Freddy’s work reminds us that every grave has a story, even if it's not written in stone. His job isn’t just research, it’s giving voices back to those who might otherwise be forgotten.

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